Methods of and means for effecting discharge of materials from tank cars



March 26, 1968 w. E. FRITZ 3,375,043 METHODS OF AND MEANS FOR EFFECTI NG DISCHARGE OF MATERIALS FROM TANK CARS Filed Jan. 20, 1966 United States Patent 9 METHODS AND MEANS FOR EFFECTING DISCHARGE OF MATERIALS FROM TANK CARS William E. Fritz, Hinsdale, Ill., assignor to Union Tank Car Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Jan. 20, 1966, Ser.. No. 521,765 6 Claims. (Cl. 30252) This invention relates to methods of and means for effecting the discharge of materials from tank cars. More particularly, the invention is directed to the discharge of various granular and/or powdery commodities from hopper-type tank cars through the employment of high velocity air films.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method of and means for effecting the discharge of commodities .from tank cars.

.Still another object of the invention. is to provide means for creating high speed air flow with-in a hoppertype tank car so as to facilitate the optimum discharge of granular and/ or powdery commodities therefrom.

An additionel object of the present invention is to provide means for and methods of effecting the discharge of granular and/ or powdery commodities from hopper-type railroad tank cars through the use of high speed air films suitably directed across the inside surface of the commodity confining hoppers.

A further object of the present invention resides in the provision of a simple, relatively low cost means for and method of effecting the discharge of granular and/or powdered commodities from hopper-type railroad tank cars with maximum efficiency.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of one preferred embodiment thereof, particularly when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of an end portion of a hopper-type railroad tank car embodying the features of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 22 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 3-3 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view depicting a preferred form of air film generating means contemplated by the present invention; and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary plane view of the air film generating means illustrated in FIGURE 4.

As generally outlined above, the present invention is directed to an improved method of and means for effecting the discharge of various granular and/or powdery commodities from hopper-type railroad tank cars. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, various materials (e.g. cellulose acetate, various grades of calcium carbonate, titanium dioxide, and other commodities) tend to adhere to, bridge across, or hangmp on the sloping walls of the conical, commodity confining hoppers of railroad tank cars typically employed to transport such meterials. Consequently, it is desirable to provide methods of and means for effecting the pressurized discharge of such materials through the use of discharging techniques which ensure the break up of any such bridging or hang-up of the con-fined material. In accordance with the present invention, these desirable results are achieved by directing high speed air across the conical hopper surfaces in a manner such that optimum discharge efficiency and maximum cleanout is achieved.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, FIGURES 1-3 depict one end portion of a typical hopper-type rail- 3,375,043 Patented Mar. 26, 1968 road tank car 10. As shown and in a conventional manner, the tank car 10 is provided with a suitable support structure 11 and undercarriage or wheel assembly 12. The car is preferably constructed so that a plurality of generally conically shaped hoppers 13 are provided along at least the lower half of the interior of the cylindrical tank shell. Each of the hoppers 13, which are defined by plate members 14 that are welded or otherwise suitably secured to the internal surface of the tank shell, communicates with a lower discharge port 15. Preferably, the structure defining the discharge port for each hopper also provides means (not shown) of conventional type for accommodating the discharge of the confined commodity under the influence of pressurized air.

Pressurized air has been employed in the past to effect the discharge of materials from hopper type railroad tank cars of the type generally described above. However, it has been recognized that the previously employed techniques are not completely suitable when dealing with variout granular and powdered commodities of the general class outlined above. Accordingly, the present invention contemplates an improved technique for effecting the discharge of such commodities through the discharge ports 15.

In this connection, and as shown particularly in FIG- URES 2-5, the tank car 10 is preferably provided with a piping or ducting arrangement only a portion 16 of which is illustrated in the drawings. More specifically, a

pair of air supply lines 16a are suitably secured to and mounted in communication with apertures 14a formed in the hopper defining plates 14 'on diametrically opposed sides of but in close proximity to the discharge port 15 provided in each hopper. Preferably, the ends of the pipes 16 are welded or otherwise suitably joined to the aperture defining portions of the plates 14 so that direct communication is provided from the air lines 16a, through the apertures 14a and to the interior of each of the hoppers 13.

With specific reference to FIGURES 4 and 5, a deflector plate member 17 is joined to each of the apertured, hopper defining plate members 14 in aligned relationship with the corresponding aperture 14a. The deflector plate 17, which is preferably slightly larger in diameter than the-adjacent aperture 14a, is secured by welding, bolting or other suitable means (not shown) so as to define a generally fan shaped opening 17a through which air emanating from the air line 16a can be discharged and suitably directed upwardly and along the inner hopper defining walls. More specifically, a pair of spacer elements 18 are positioned between the lowermost peripheral segments of each of the deflector plates 17 and adjacent the lower peripheral portion of the adjacent aper t-ure 14a. These spacer elements 18 ensure the desired spacing of the plate from the discharge opening 14a. Moreover, these elements 1'8 are proportioned so as to ensure that an optimum fan shaped, sweeping air flow pattern emanates from the region between the deflector plate and the aperture 14a (i.e. the spacer elements preferably compromise approximately one quarter of the circumferential area surrounding the aperture 14a with a small bleeder hole 18a being formed therebetween).

In accordance with the present invention, each of the deflector plates 17 coact with the controlled flow of air from the pipe so as to yield a relatively high velocity air stream that is directed in a sweeping manner upwardly and across the conical hopper walls. Because of the manner of mounting the deflector plate 17 to ensure an optimum fan shaped pattern as noted above, each such deflector arrangement yields a high velocity air flow that covers at least of the inner wall surface of each of the conical hoppers. In this connection, air pressures of approximately 15-100 p.s.i. can be employed to discharge the commodities previously discussed. When such pressurized air is discharged through the aperture 14a, a high velocity film is produced at the fanshaped opening between the deflector plate 17 and the aperture defining hopper wall, and this high velocity film both breaks up any bridging of the materials within the hopper and yields the necessary pressure head within the tank shell to facilitate the dis-charge of the material therefrom. With two such aperture-deflector arrangements provided on diametrically opposed sides of the discharge port 15, the entire conical surface of each of the hoppers 13 has such a high velocity air flow directed upwardly there-.

across.

In a typical hopper-type tank car carrying a load of material such as calcium carbonate or titanium dioxide, effective discharging operations are achieved by supplying air under pressure of approximately 25 p.s.i. from the air lines 16a. In such a circumstance, the necessary pressurized air flow to ensure breakup of any materials that tend to bridge or hang-up on the hopper walls is yielded when a deflector plate having a inch diameter (i.e. 5 inch diameter disc) is mounted symmetrically about a three inch aperture 14a and spaced approximately A3 of an inch therefrom.

From the foregoing description, it will be appreciated that the present invention contemplates both an improved method of and apparatus for generating a sweeping-type, upwardly directed, high velocity air film across the entire internal surface of a tank car hopper compartment whereby both the undermining of the material and the discharge thereof is efiiciently effected. Although the foregoing description has been directed to the invention as employed in conical-type hopper compartments, it will be further appreciated that suitable deflector and air film generating means as described above can be provided in other types of railroad tank cars to accomplish the necessary discharge and cleanout of materials stored therein. Obviously, when the present invention is applied to other forms of hopper-type tank cars, it may be desirable to employ more or fewer deflector plate arrangements of the type described above. In any event, the foregoing description is merely illustrative of the invention and various modifications of the structural and functional aspects thereof might be conceived by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention, various features of which are set forth in the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for effecting the pressurized discharge and cleanout of material from hopper-type railroad tank cars wherein at least a substantial majon'ty of the material is confined within at least one hopper compartment having a discharge port provided in the lowermost extremity thereof; which apparatus comprises means defining at least one inlet for accommodating the passage of pressurized air to each of said hopper compartments adjacent the discharge port provided therein, means for supplying pressurized air to each of said inlets, and means secured to said inlet defining means for translating pressurized air supplied through each of said inlets into an. upwardly directed high velocity air film, said last mentioned means being a non-porous deflector disc mounted in closely spaced relation to said inlet to ensure a sweeping deflection of said air film upwardly and across substantially the entire internal surface of said hopper compartment whereby undermining and discharge of the material confined therein is effected.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said deflector disc is of larger diameter than said inlet.

3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said deflector disc is mounted in spaced relation to said aperture so that the upwardly directed high velocity air film produced thereby has a fan shaped pattern.

4. Apparatus for effecting the pressurized discharge and clean out of material from a hopper compartment having a discharge port provided in the lowermost extremity thereof; which apparatus comprises means defining at least one inlet for accommodating the passage of pressurized air to said hopper compartment adjacent the discharge port provided therein, means for supplying pressurized air to said inlet, and means secured to said inlet defining :means for translating pressurized air supplied through said inlet into an upwardly directed high velocity air film, said last mentioned means being a nonporous deflector disc mounted in closely spaced relation to said inlet to ensure a sweeping deflection of said air film upwardly and across substantially the entire internal surface of said hopper compartment whereby undermining and discharge of the material confined therein is effected.

5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 wherein said deflector disc is of larger diameter than said inlet.

6. Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 wherein said deflector disc is mounted in spaced relation to said aperture so that the upwardly directed high velocity air film produced thereby has a fan shaped pattern.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,029,273 6/1912 Butler 222195 3,254,766 6/1966 Anderson 222l 3,305,142 2/1967 Caldwell 222-- GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner.

ALBERT I. MAKAY, Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING THE PRESSURIZED DISCHARGE AND CLEANOUT OF MATERIAL FROM HOPPER-TYPE RAILROAD TANK CARS WHEREIN AT LEAST A SUBSTANTIAL MAJORITY OF THE MATERIAL IS CONFINED WITHIN AT LEAST ONE HOPPER COMPARTMENT HAVING A DISCHARGE PORT PROVIDED IN THE LOWERMOST EXTREMITY THEREOF; WHICH APPARATUS COMPRISES MEANS DEFINING AT LEAST ONE INLET FOR ACCOMMODATING THE PASSAGE OF PRESSURIZED AIR TO EACH OF SAID HOPPER COMPARTMENTS ADJACENT THE DISCHARGE PORT PROVIDED THEREIN, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING PRESSURIZED AIR TO EACH OF SAID INLETS, AND MEANS SECURED TO SAID INLET DEFINING MEANS FOR TRANSLATING PRESSURIZED AIR SUPPLIED THROUGH EACH OF SAID INLETS INTO 